Married by forty 5  Love is in the air
by Fleppy85
Summary: Finally there's something more in Sara's and Sofia's life than work
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

"You know you're breaking somebody's heart by having a night off and not gathering around a crime scene." Sofia grinned. She and Sara had a night off and were out on the Strip. They had dinner in the Bellagio and went over to the Mirage to have a few drinks.

"First of all, I don't gather around the crime scene, I work there. Second I have a night off once a week, that's nothing unusual and third stop making suggestions about Lieutenant Clark and me."

"He sent you a text when we had dinner."

"Did I answer? No, I enjoyed our dinner."

"He misses you."

"If you go on like this you'll miss me too."

"Being bitchy about a man means I'm right." Sofia grinned widely. She had taken a big interested in the relationship between Sara and her new colleague, Ryan Clark. Clark had joined the Las Vegas force two months ago and it had been obvious to Sofia, that he had more than a soft spot for Sara. Sofia herself had been interested in the lieutenant, he was in his early thirties, around six foot four tall and sporty. Probably all women around him had at least one eye on him but it seemed, he had both of his eyes only on Sara. As soon as Sofia had found that out, she had backed off and hoped her friend would do something about that. Or more, Sara would do something for this obvious interested. So far the investigator seemed not to be too interested in the man. Another reason why Sofia wanted this night with her best friend, she wanted to find out, what Sara really thought of lieutenant Clark.

"Don't fight with me, you'll lose."

"Come on Sara, he's cute…"

"He is, he knows it and men who know they're cute, they use that to get every woman they want and not only one."

"Usually you're right, I agree, but he has never been interested in anybody. Believe me, I had my eyes on him, he doesn't seem to be after every woman that crosses his way."

"If you have your eyes on him, than get him for yourself."

"He's not interested in me, he wants you."

"Sofia…"

"No, Sara, serious. As soon as you're around his attention is with you. He has more than a soft spot for you and if you wouldn't be so damn stubborn you'd admit I'm right."

"You're smug."

"And?"

"Nothing."

"He's cute, he'd understand the hours you work, he works nights too, it would be perfect."

"If something appears to be perfect there's always a catch 22."

"Sara, it has been over two years that you and Grissom split, even he moved on. Why are you trying to avoid a new relationship with an obviously great cop? Don't tell me it's because he's only a cop and you want a CSI."

"From a supervisor to a lieutenant, isn't that going backwards?" Sara smirked and got the evil eyes. "Sorry, lieutenant Curtis."

"Not funny."

"Sofia, he's too young."

"Excuse me? He's five years younger than you, how many years are you younger than Grissom? Why is it alright when the man is twenty years older but wrong when the woman is five years older?"

"Gil isn't twenty years older."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes I got your point. Nothing is wrong with his age…"

"But?"

"No but."

"You'll give him a chance?"

"I might consider an invitation to dinner when he ask the next time."

"Woman." Sofia rolled her eyes. "Get out of the medieval times and be a modern woman, ask the man yourself. You're not one of these high school girls, giggling behind a boy's back and waiting for his attention. Ask him out, if he says no – which I really doubt – he has to make up for that and you've got the power."

"I could invite him to breakfast tomorrow morning. Knowing us we won't get into bed before shift's over."

"Sounds good to me. Let's get a cocktail, I can see a cute guy over there mixing them."

"You see cute guys all the time."

"My eyes are really good." Sofia took Sara's hand and pulled her with her to the bar, right in front of the cute man. She guessed him in his late thirties, long brown hair pulled back to a pony tail and green eyes.

"Hey Ladies, what can I do for you?"

"What can you offer?" Sofia rose an eyebrow.

He smiled. "Sex on the beach."

"The beach is too far away."

"Swimming pool?"

"Sounds better. Can we have a sunrise with that?"

"Sure." He smiled and started to mix their cocktails.

"You're flirting like a college girl."

"I know, I'll feel guilty later. He's cute and he has some humor."

"Sex on the beach."

"I could think about that with him…don't listen to me, I'm single too long."

"Am I supposed to remind you, you want a real relationship? Not only sex."

"I know."

"And that there's still a rich guy in this town who wants you."

"Keane? He hasn't bothered me in four months. I think he understood that he has no chance to get me. There were enough other women by his side, I saw them in the newspaper, he's fine without me." And Sofia couldn't find words that describe how happy she was about that. No more flowers, no more visits, nothing of Keane.

"They're nothing than a cheap replacement."

"Some of them looked cheap, some looked very expensive."

"None looked as good as you."

"Thanks."

"A swimming pool and a tequila sunrise. Who gets which?"

"I take the pool." Sofia said.

"Right, it's closer than the ocean and the sunrise."

"Yes." She found the pin with his name. "You're new, aren't you Marco?"

"Yeah, started last week."

"Your accent tells me something south…south east…South Carolina?"

"Georgia."

"Close."

"Your accent tells me Las Vegas through and through."

"Right."

"A girl of Sin City. Interesting."

"Is it?"

"Yes, it seemed like you don't meet a lot of women on the Strip that are actually from Las Vegas."

"Too many tourists."

"But you're here."

"We are. Sometimes it's fun to watch tourists and the lights on the Strip."

"They were the reason why I came here. I love watching them. I'd invite you to a cocktail on the Stratosphere Tower but I don't invite women I don't know the name of."

"Not? Well, I can pay for my cocktails myself. Maybe I tell you my name later."

"Ouch. Alright, I got the hint and leave you alone until you need another cocktail." He smiled at Sara and walked to another customer.

"You're quite flirty, lieutenant." Sara was amused.

"Am I? Maybe."

"What's the difference between him and Keane?"

"I haven't seen him with hundred other women in newspapers, I'm not investigating a murder case with a prostitute as his ex girlfriend."

"He's a bartender, he likes flirting, he won't be very different. Or do you think he goes home alone every night and cuddles his pillow?"

"I haven't done anything, haven't given him my name, I'm almost as bad as you are. A few more weeks like this and I can't apply as a nun – together with you."

"Will you stop it?"

"No."

"Thought so." Sara took a big sip of her cocktail. Sofia wouldn't stop until Sara had met Ryan for breakfast or dinner, that was clear. And after that she would annoy he longer until she got a really good reason why Sara didn't want to date Clark. Sara knew, it was impossible to find a really good reason for Sofia why Sara didn't want to date.


	2. Chapter 2

"He is sooo cute." Sofia sighed.

"He is sooo interested in you." Sara grinned.

"I know. Do you think I should give it a try?"

"Oh no, don't ask me. If something goes wrong you'll be mad at me. I won't tell you anything when it comes to men. Give him a chance if you want, send him away if you don't want him. It's all your choice, honey. I'll leave you here and call Ryan. If he wants breakfast with me I'll get prepared for that, if not I'll go to bed. Anyway I'll see you tonight."

"Have fun with the sexy lieutenant."

"I won't meet you for breakfast, Sofia." Sara blinked at her and left.

Sofia sighed. "I love this woman, she always knows what to say to make my day." With a smile she turned her attention to her half full cocktail glass. It was after four in the morning, she had no idea how many hours she and Sara had just sit here, talking. She even couldn't remember what they were talking about. Thinking of it, she had no idea how they always managed to talk for so long without being bored.

"Your friend left?" Marco came back to her.

"Yeah, she tries to get a breakfast date."

"A breakfast date? What about you?"

"Me? No, she doesn't want me as her breakfast date." Sofia grinned.

"Not? I can't understand that."

"Somehow she's more into my colleague."

"What is your job?"

"Police."

"A cop? An officer was sitting the whole night at my bar, lucky me I was a good boy and didn't do anything wrong…on the other hand I can imagine worse things than being handcuffed by you."

"Can you?"

"Yeah, a lot of things."

"It's lieutenant and not officer."

"A woman with power, no that's even more tempting. Can I book you for some…securing the scene?"

"Depends."

"On what."

"The scene."

"Sunrise in the desert with a breakfast?"

"What happens to the sunrise on the Stratosphere Tower?" Sofia laughed.

"Too cheap. A breakfast in the desert is more personal. I'm done here, we could get some bagels, coffee and go to the desert, wait for the sunrise."

"What makes you think I want to do that?"

"You didn't leave with your friend."

"I haven't finish my cocktail."

"Oh I know I make great cocktails but they are not the reason why you still here."

"You are arrogant."

"And?"

"And? You don't want to tell me I'm wrong?"

"Why should I lie to you? You have to be arrogant to be a bartender, otherwise you're bad in your job and I'm good. That's make me arrogant, I'm fine with that. There are worse things than being arrogant."

"Like what?"

"Like not knowing what your name is, lieutenant."

"Sofia."

"From the Greek word for wisdom. I'm sure you live up to your name, Sofia."

"I do. So why should I say yes to a breakfast in the desert with a totally stranger? That wouldn't be very wise, would it?"

"Because you're a lieutenant and you will be in control. You've got the gun, I've got the bagels."

"Sounds interesting. Shall we go?"

"Sure." He smiled and took his jacket from behind the bar.

Being not allowed to drive anymore Sofia took a seat next to Marco and let him drive. She wasn't sure where all this would end but she felt good and she was sure, there would be no regret, no matter what would happen next.

Marco stopped at a drive through and got them coffee and bagels before he took of in the desert. He seemed to know his way because he got them straight to a mountain that offered them a great view to the east. With a blanket to sit on and one to cover up they sat down on the hood.

"Are you impressed, lieutenant?" Marco asked with a smile.

"Why? Because you got me to this spot? No, I'm sure you got a few other women to here too. I'm not that easy to impress, sorry to ruin your day."

"You don't ruin it, you make it. I don't like it when women are too easy to impress, means everybody can impress them. Like mixing a good cocktail, some girls are melting only because you make a show out of mixing a cocktail, that's cheap. Getting a woman on a mountain in the desert is also something every guy can do. Means I have to do something special for you to impress you, a challenge. And I will impress you, Sofia, no matter how long I've to think about what to do and how hard I have to try to do so."

"Really?" Sofia smiled amused.

"Really."

"So, what is your next plan after coffee, bagel and sunrise aren't the thing that got you to your goal? Any other ideas?"

"I could try roses, but that's boring. Same for chocolate. You should never send a girl roses and chocolate and expect her to be impressed. You should give her both with something special. And the thing is, do you even like roses, Sofia?"

"They are not my favorite."

"What would be your favorite flower?"

"Orchids."

"Are you a Jeep?"

"What?"

"A yellow creature from Africa…"

"I can't disappear, no." Sofia laughed. A jeep. She had thought of a car but when Marco started to explain and his eyes were full of mock, she understood what he meant.

"You watched Popeye?"

"I did and I liked Eugene."

"Now you've impressed me." He confessed.

"And you impressed me." She chuckled. A man who talked with her about old cartoons, she couldn't remember that she ever had a date like that. This was definitely an interesting meeting.

"Do you like any other kind of cartoons?"

"I loved to watch 'She-ra'…"

"The sister of 'He-man', the old show-off."

"Yeah. I liked her horse, she was kind of cool. And inspector Gadget."

"Can you make your arms as long as he could, lieutenant?"

"No, sorry. What did you like?"

"Not important."

"Oh come on, tell me. Turtles? Ghostbusters?"

Marco mumbled something she couldn't understand.

"What?"

"urf."

"Alf?"

"Smurfs."

"The Smurfs?" Sofia couldn't hold back and started to laugh out loud. It was hard to believe that this man was sitting in front of the TV as a child and singing the 'lalalala' of the Smurfs. She wanted to ask what Smurf was his favorite but she couldn't stop laughing.

"You are a mean person, Sofia." Marco started tickling Sofia, which made her laugh even more.

"Papa Smurf? Or Hefty Smurf? Who was your favorite?"

"Stop it."

"Clumsy? Jokey?"

Instead of telling Sofia to shut up Marco simply leant over and kissed her until she stopped laughing because she was too busy to kiss back. Maybe it had something romantic and nice being in the desert and kissing in the sunrise. Fact was, Sofia enjoyed this very much and had no intention to stop.

"You think this is a good idea?" She asked when they stopped kissing to get some air.

"It felt good."

"It did, but I'm not interested in a one night stand." Was she really not? Right now she wasn't that sure about it.

"It would be a one day stand in our cases."

"The same."

"I can't promise you I'll be with you for the rest of my life but I can promise you I won't betray you. And I won't call you tonight and tell you it's all over. You're way too special to lose contact with you after a few hours. Besides, you know one of my secrets now, I have to have an eye on you. Can you live with that? No 'Until death do us apart' but a promise I won't lie and cheat?"

"That's a start and more than most guys do."

"Give us some credit, we're not that good and women aren't saints either."

"No, we're not."

"See. Another thing you have to consider: I'm a bartender, I have to talk to women, I have to be friendly and I work nights! Six nights a week."

"I'm a nightshift lieutenant, I do the same."

"Well, that's what I call handy…don't you dare to call me Handy Smurf."

"I didn't." Sofia grinned. She as about to do so.

"I don't believe that." He got up. "Come on, lieutenant, I'll bring you home."

"And then?"

"Then I'll kiss you good…morning and go home. No need to hurry with anything."

"I like guys with time…but I think I'd prefer to come to your place and stay awake for a little bit longer."

"You are straight forward, lieutenant."

"I am. Always remember that and imagine what I do if you do anything stupid. I shoot first and ask then questions."

"I'll get a bullet proofed vest for our next date." Marco offered Sofia his hand and helped her from the hood.


	3. Chapter 3

"What did I tell you about wandering away?"

Sara sighed loud. "Stop scaring me, Sofia." The brunette knew the blonde did that on purpose. She crept up behind Sara and scared her only because she knew Sara's attention was on the evidence.

"Stop walking away."

"I'm following the evidence."

"Yeah, in a dark backyard. You need a lieutenant by your side when you go to dangerous places."

"You're here."

"Mhm, because I always look out for you. What did you find?"

"There was a blossom in the house and I try to find out where it's from. There are no flowers in the house like this one blossom and it was under the body of the female."

"What blossom is it?"

"You're favorite."

"Orchid? Then the killer is Eugene."

"Who?"

"Never mind. How was your breakfast?" Sara had called Ryan and of course he was more than happy to join he for breakfast. He was more than on time and didn't really pay attention to his food but to his company.

"Nice."

"And?"

"Sofia, we're working."

"I want details."

"In that case you have to invite me to breakfast – or are you busy?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. Dinner?"

"Deal."

"Perfect. I'll send an officer out to you, I need to talk to the neighbors. Stay safe, Sidle."

"Always, lieutenant Curtis."

Sara went on looking for some orchids but there were none in the garden of the victims. They were investigating a double murder. A couple was killed in their house, both shot in the head. As far as the CSIs could tell nothing had been stolen or destroyed. It was like the only intention of the killer was to kill these two people and leave again.

"There are no signs that anybody entered the house through a window or another door." Greg came to Sara. "It looks like the victims let their killer in the house. No defensive wounds, no signs of struggle."

"Anything that leads us to the killer?"

"No, not so far. What about the blossom?"

"I can't find a orchid in the garden or the house, I'll have a look around the neighborhood. What about the couple's family?"

"They've got a daughter and a son. Sofia said the daughter lives in Los Angeles, the son in San Francisco, she will call them later."

"How old?"

"The daughter is in her mid-twenties, the son early twenties."

"Rough time to lose both parents."

"Yeah…" Greg looked at Sara. "They are adults…"

"Greg, I'm fine."

"I know, sorry."

"It's alright, thanks for making sure." She gave him a smile. "Get back to the scene before Cath is looking for you. I'll get an officer and walk around the neighborhood. Maybe we'll find the gun somewhere."

"It looks like a professional shot…only the kill, nothing else."

"Is there any evidence the couple was involved in anything that brings a professional killer with it?"

"According to Sofia they were both without a rap sheet."

"We'll get the killer, everybody leaves a trace."

"I know. Good luck with the blossom and the gun."

"Thanks."

* * *

"There are no orchids in the neighborhood." Sara had walked the whole block in each direction and had checked every garden. Nothing.

"I took it with me to Hodges, he'll tell you everything you need to know about it." Greg offered her a coffee; his own brew.

"Thanks."

"The blood is in DNA but my guess is, it's the blood of Misses Walsh."

"I think so too, but she was lying on it and the bullet entered her forehead. What if the killer had the flowers, hid his gun in it, killed the man, she tried to slap the gun/flowers, got a blossom that way in her hand or out of the bunch, it fell down and she fell on top when the killer shot her?"

"That would be a way to get the gun in the house. Who brings flowers to a couple?"

"The delivery service."

"Very funny. I mean, it was after ten in the night, the delivery guys don't work that late."

"In Vegas? You never know, but I'll check on companies that deliver around the clock."

"Good idea. There were no signs of a struggle, I don't think the killer was injured in any way. What about prints on the door?"

"Nothing."

"The bell?"

"There were some, we took them."

"Some people knock…knuckle prints are not as good as fingerprints but did you check for them?"

"No, sorry I…"

"I'll go back later and will do that, don't worry, Greg. I wasn't criticizing you, just asking. Let's go on thinking of the killer. To whom would you open the door at that time of the night?"

"A neighbor, a friend, a family member."

"The children don't live in town, what about other family members?"

"Ask Cath or Sofia."

"I met most of the neighbors briefly when I was looking for the orchids. Didn't get a bribe there. But people can pretend to be nice and have the knife to kill you right behind their back. I'll ask Sofia what she thought of them, what they told her."

"Of whom?" Sofia leant in the door frame. "What are you two coffee gossip nanas talking about?"

"I can hear she's jealous." Sara offered Sofia her mug. "Drink some coffee, lieutenant."

"Thanks." Sofia took a sip. "You want to know what I think of whom?"

"The neighbors."

"As a killer? Solid people, most in an age close to get retired or older. They were at home, I think most of them were with their partner. One or two were alone but I couldn't find anything that made me think, they could have a motive. Want me to check closer on them?"

"No if there was nothing unusual about them. What's about the children?"

"I haven't called them yet." Sofia didn't like these kind of calls and always tried to avoid them or find something else she could do.

"Are there any other family members around?"

"A sister of the husband in Henderson, a brother in Boulders. Her family is from Montana."

"For whom would you open your door so late in the night?"

"The pizza delivery guy if I had ordered one."

"What about a delivery guy and you haven't ordered anything?"

"Well…I guess so…to tell him I haven't ordered anything and send him away. You think the killer pretended to be a delivery guy?"

"That was our theory for the blossom." Sara told Sofia about the idea Greg had before.

"Tell me what you find out about that, will you Greg?"

"Sure."

"And you, want me to join you to the house for the knuckle print?"

"Are your officers gone?"

"No, there's still one at the scene."

"In that case I'll be fine, thanks."

"Okay." Sofia looked at her watch. "Six o'clock, time to destroy some lives on the coast and in Montana. I hate this part of the job."

"Another reason why I prefer to be a CSI." Sara patted Sofia's shoulder. "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, seven?"

"No problem. Bye-bye lieutenant." Sara grinned and left.

"She still says that like something is wrong with calling me 'lieutenant'." Sofia said to Greg and furrowed her brows. She was a lieutenant since half a year and Sara still called her rank like Sofia just got it.

"You two are always teasing each other, I wouldn't be surprise if she calls you a bitch or something like that."

"She does that too."

"Like I said I'm not surprised. Probably you call her a bitch too."

"What would surprise you?"

"About you and Sara?" He thought for a moment. "Nothing…well, if you both don't talk to each other anymore, that would surprise me."

"That won't happen." Not as long as Sofia had any influence on that. Sara was too important to get her out of Sofia's life.

"I thought so. You had a rough start but a lovely end."

"Greg, this isn't the end, this is only the beginning."

"Of what?"

"Another thirty years with you and Sara on graveyard shift."

"I hope that will happen. I want to see you becoming captain."

"And chief of police, even I won't work nights then anymore. I'll always make a little stop to see you guys."

"And tell us to work faster." Greg grinned.

"Absolutely." Sofia laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 2**

"I can smell…lasagne!" Sara opened the door to Sofia's apartment.

"You're right. Vegetarian lasagne." Sofia put a salad bowl on the table. "And it's waiting for you. Like me."

"Good to know. I missed you too." Sara hugged Sofia.

"Did you? I thought there was somebody else making sure you weren't too lonely."

"You are so curious."

"I am, it's my job. Tell me. I want details."

"You could at least wait until we're sitting here with the food if you can't hold back until after dinner."

"I can't. Sit down, I'll get the lasagne."

Sara started laughing. She knew how curious Sofia was.

"Stop laughing and get us something to drink."

"What a service."

"You want service? Go to a restaurant. You came to your best friend, you can help yourself. You know, friends come for dinner, real friends open the fridge and help themselves. You are a real friend."

"Yes Ma'am." Sara got up and took the bottle with the mineral water and poured them some water.

"Careful, hot." Sofia placed the bowl with the lasagne on the table, took Sara's plate and gave her some lasagne.

"And now tell me. He did show up, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"I knew it. And? Don't be so awful slow, tell me everything."

"You cook very well, Sofia."

"Sara!"

"And so much cheese." Sara went on teasing the blonde.

"I'll kill you if you don't cut through the shit and tell me what I want to hear."

"We had breakfast."

"And?"

"Nothing. We talked."

"What about?"

"The job…"

"Oh Sara!"

"You…"

"Sara!"

"He wanted to know if I'm interested in meeting him for dinner one day and I suggested the day after tomorrow."

"That's better. Why so late?"

"Because I wanted to see you tonight and I have some other plans for tomorrow. It's gym night."

"I'm sure he makes some exercises with you if you ask him."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Come on, don't play the saint, I know you."

"I don't want him in my bed so fast."

"Who said something about the bed? Kitchen table, carpet…"

"Get yourself out of the gutter!"

"Sorry."

"You were right, he likes me, it's obvious. The waitress tried to flirt with him and he never noticed that. And this brown eyes, so wonderful to drown in. And his body…I should invite him for a swim."

"Can I come too?"

"No!"

"Pity. You have to take photos for me. Did you guys do nothing more than having breakfast and talking?"

"No. He's a colleague, Sofia."

"Right. Better to test the water first, make sure it can work instead of jumping into the next bed and feel sorry about that a week later. Whatever happens between you and Ryan will effect your work." Sofia was serious now. As much as she wanted Sara to be with her colleague, she knew it was difficult. Love could change to hate and then they had to handle that and keep on being professionals at work.

"But you are interested?"

"Yes I am."

"And so is he. That's a good base. I want you to be happy, Sara."

"I know." Sara smiled. "We'll see what happens. No need to hurry. So, tell me about your morning. Did you stay or did you leave your bartender?"

"Both."

"Both?"

"I left with him."

"I thought so."

"He is cute and…I don't know, he got me. He invited me to breakfast."

"Tequila sunrise on the Stratosphere Tower?"

"No, thanks god. Anyway I doubt the tower is open at that time. He drove us out in the desert, on a mountain to see the sunrise. We got some bagels and coffee on the way. It was really nice but I told him, I was sure I wasn't the first one he showed this and I wasn't impressed with this."

"Ouch."

"No, he took it with humor, said, he would be disappointed if I get so easily impressed and then he impressed me."

"How?"

"That's a crazy story. We talked about flowers, I told him I like orchids, he called me a Jeep, a yellow creature from Africa, I told him I can't make myself disappear and we were both surprised that the other had watched the old Popeye cartoons."

"What is a Jeep? I assume you're not talking about a car."

"It's a creature from Africa, size of a dog, yellow, loves to eat orchids and was in these old Popeye cartoons. Did you not watch them?"

"No."

"Not, they were…oh, sorry." Sofia realized what she was about to say and took Sara's hand. Sara never had a happy childhood with cartoons, how could she forget that? She could slap herself for that.

"It's alright, don't worry. You can't think the whole time what a fucked up childhood I had. Sometimes you have to forget that. I try the same."

"I didn't want to be so…insensitive. I'm sorry, Sara."

"I'm fine." Sara pulled Sofia up and took her with her to the couch. Sitting next to each other, Sara placed her arm around Sofia. "Go on telling."

"We ended up talking about cartoons and he loved the Smurfs. That made me laugh, he wanted me to stop but I couldn't and I kept teasing him so he kissed me to shut up. That worked."

"Wow, he knows how to handle you."

"Yeah. I asked if he thinks it a good that we do that."

"Of course he did."

"Well, he said he can't promise it will be forever but he can promise that he'll never betray me. That's more than most guys do and I mentioned I shoot first and ask then. I think he got the hint."

"You were straight forward."

"Yes. He wanted to bring me home, kiss me good morning and go home."

"A gentleman."

"Yes. I didn't feel like having a gentleman around."

"Did you tell him?"

"Yes." Sofia smiled coy.

"And he understood."

"He did."

"I hope he shakes other things as good as his cocktails."

"Who's the one in the gutter now?"

"Sorry." Sara giggled.

"And I can tell you, he does."

"Okay, I won't ask for details."

"I won't give them to you."

"No need to do so. I'm happy you're happy." Sara kissed Sofia's cheek. "I hope he'll keep his promise and is the one."

"So do I. He works nights, very handy."

"Yes."

"We can have a dinner with our new guys in a few weeks."

"I don't have a new guy."

"Official not, no. We'll overcome this obstacle soon. There are no reasons why you and him shouldn't be a dream couple."

"Let's hope he thinks the same"

"I'm sure he does." Sofia smiled. She wanted Sara happy and then they were both happy in a relationship. Some would consider that as a threat to their friendship but she was sure, their friendship was strong enough and they were close enough to keep their relationship strong.


	5. Chapter 5

"The daughter and the son are here." Sofia had to inform Cath because it was her case and Sara and Greg were only working with her.

"I'm on my way."

"And Sara? Ryan asked if you have a minute."

"Sure." Sara got up. "Where is he?"

"In his office."

"Do you mind, Cath?"

"No, that's fine."

Sara walked through the building to the door of Ryan's office.

"Inspector Clark?" There he was, sitting behind his desk, his black hair short, the green eyes sparkling when he saw her. And again a t-shirt under his jacket.

"Miss Sidle."

"What can I do for you?"

"Come in."

Sara closed the door after she came in the room and sat down.

"I want you, Sara."

"I beg your pardon?" That was a little bit too straight forward for Sara.

"On a case."

"Oh." She sighed relieved.

"What did you think?" There was some amusement in his voice.

"Nothing."

"We're on duty Sara."

"I know."

"I'd never be that personal…okay, I would. But I'd choose other words…at least until we had our first kiss."

"I'm relieved to know that you can control yourself a little bit." Sara smirked.

"It's hard when you're around but I try to manage."

"You do good."

"I hope I get some points for that."

"I don't have a point list for you, Ryan."

"Not? What a pity. Anyway, do you have a case at the moment?"

"Yes, the double homicide."

"With Sofia."

"Yes."

"You won't leave her to be with me, will you?"

"No." Sara laughed.

"Thought so. But we're still on for dinner?"

"Of course."

"Good."

"Ryan?"

"Yes?"

"We need to be very sure before we do anything that might make working together complicated."

"We will." He smiled a little bit. "Promise."

"Good." She got up. "I'll see you around."

"You can come around whenever you want."

"I keep that in mind." She smiled a little bit and left the office. Ryan had asked her to leave a case and join him. He knew they needed a good reason for that and neither Gil nor Cath would accept an explanation like 'we want to spend some time together' or 'we're nor sure if we'll have a romance and need some time to find out'. No, they wouldn't like that and Sara didn't want to mix private life and business too much up.

She walked back to the lab. She had some fingerprints and a knuckle print. If that was a print of the killer? It looked fresh. She also took some fingerprints from the door, most of them in a child size.

"Up for some work in the field?" Greg came in the room.

"Why?"

"Let's go back to the house, we need something more. Something that gives us a killer. And there is one neighbor Sofia couldn't get hold on yesterday, maybe we can talk to him today. I feel lucky."

"Buy a lottery ticket."

"Did that already. If I'm a millionaire will you run away with me?"

"No Greg but I'll visit you wherever you run to."

"That's good too." He threw the car keys to her. It was no question that Sara wanted to drive and he didn't mind.

"Anything special we're looking for? I mean, we spent six hours in and around the house…"

"And got nothing. Or the lab isn't fast enough. They are only through half of the prints but the DNA was from the male vic. The blood must have gotten on the blossom when he was shot. There were some splatter."

"Yeah. Bugger I hoped it was the killer's blood. We can look for traffic cams in the area, Doc Robbins has the TOD, we can check who was around that area."

"Good idea. " Greg got his cell out of the pocket. "It's Greg, can you tell me where the closet traffic cams are from our crime scene? Yeah Mountain Ave…thanks." He closed his cell. "The next cameras are too far away, there are too many other streets in between the killer could have used. We need to come up with something better."

"We will. I don't know what and where it is, but we'll find it."

"Can I quote you on that when Cath asks me what we found?"

"Sure if you want me in trouble."

"I'll say something." He was quiet for a minute. "It's strange seeing Cath with Sofia interrogate a suspect and not you."

"Huh? Greg, it's Cath's case."

"Yeah but it's Sofia."

"Sofia and me are not married and even if we were, this is business and not private."

"I know. I just like the two of you together. You're a kind of cute."

"Greg, do you have any fantasies about Sofia and me?"

"Can I add myself to this group?"

"You better don't."

"I don't."

She looked at him. "Don't spend so much time with Hodges, Greg. That's not good for you and our friendship."

"I try not to."

Half an hour later they were in the living room of Albert Stein, a retired physics professor.

"Thanks for your time, Mister Stein." Sara said.

"Not a problem at all. I'm sorry I wasn't in yesterday but my old company called and needed me. Five years retired and they still call in the middle of the night because my replacements can't handle everything. I wonder what they learn at university nowadays." He was around five foot nine, had short gray hair, thick glasses and wore a gray suit. Even if he had been at home, it seemed like he preferred a formal suit than anything casual.

"You were simply too good."

"Once I wasn't too far away of a nomination for the Nobel Price but that's another story and you're not her to listen to my old fame. What can I do for you?"

"We investigate the murder of your neighbors."

"I heard that. Really nice people, I wonder who wants them dead. Was a burglary?"

"No, it doesn't look like that."

"Why kill two people? For no reason."

"We try to find that out. Did you see anything unusual between eight and eleven yesterday evening?"

"I left my place around half ten because of the emergency in my old company and before…it was quiet outside, no trouble or anything like that." He thought for a moment. "There was one of these small van in front of their house, around half nine. I remembered it because I wondered who that was. I thought of a delivery service but there was no advertisement on my side and these vans have them on both sides, haven't they?"

"They do, yes." Sara's attention was on the old man. That sounded like something that might be interesting for them. A visitor. "Can you remember anything special about that van? Color? License plate?"

"I didn't see the license plate. It was black, I think a Mercedes, looked quite new. I thought maybe the company bought it recently and had no time to get their advertisement on it. People don't have time anymore. Or they're unable to plan."

"Did you see the driver?"

"No…do you think that was the killer?"

"We're trying to find people who were around this area yesterday and if this was a delivery guy we need to talk to him or her. He or she might be a witness."

"I didn't see anybody else."

"Do you know how long the van was in front of the neighbor house?"

"No, I didn't stick around. I saw it, I wondered for a moment and then I minded my own business. Did you talk to the other neighbors?"

"Yes, we did. They didn't see anything."

"It was the best TV time, most people here are not available in the prime time."

"Do you know if the Walshes had any enemies?"

"Not as far as I know. This is a nice neighborhood, everybody gets along with everybody."

"Was there anybody who visit them often?"

"No. I know they went once a week out to a poker night, both liked to gamble a little bit. The daughter shows up once a months."

"What about the son?"

"I can't remember the last time I saw him. He lives in San Francisco, weird guy."

"Why weird?"

"He never tried to get any contact with the neighbors when he lived here. He was friendly but he wasn't interested in anything that happened here."

"Did the Walshes talk about their children?"

"Sometimes they mentioned the daughter, she got married last year and became a mother a few months ago. Misses Walsh was very proud of her and always loved it when the grandchild was around."

"What about the son?"

"No, I can't remember the last time they talked about him. He went to college, what he is doing there, I don't know. Not all children are close to their parents. I left home when I was twenty-one and saw my parents the next time when I was close over thirty. They lived in Europe, it took them over ten years to visit me and I had no intention to go back because I had everything I wanted and needed here."

Sara got up. "Thanks for your time, Mister Stein."


	6. Chapter 6

"I'll have a look if I get anything from the black van." Greg took his flashlight. "Oil, marks of the tires."

"If the killer pretended to be a delivery guy his prints must be on the door or the bell." Sara got her cell out. "Wendy, are you any further with the prints?…really?…try to get Cath, she is in an interview with the children, but I think she wants to know that….thanks." She turned. "Wendy found a print and got a match in IAFIS. A man from San Francisco."

"What a coincidence, the same place the son is from."

"Yes. What is a man from San Francisco doing in Las Vegas?"

"A friend of the son?"

"The son who wasn't here for a long time? There weren't a lot of old prints, I got the newer ones."

"You think the son has anything to do with that?"

"He's the only connection to San Francisco so far."

"Why would he kill his parents? Or pay somebody to kill them?"

"I don't know, we'll find out. I'll have a look in the house, see if there's anything that leads us to the son, that tells us about his relationship to his parents."

Sara entered the house. She hadn't checked the upper level last night because there was no evidence that anything related to the case had happened upstairs. Today she walked up the green carpet on the stairs and stopped for a brief moment on top of the stairs. The master bedroom was at the end of the hallway, a first bathroom was right next to her left, another one behind it, a bathroom across the floor of the second door.

The first room had a poster of a horse hanging on it's wall. Horses implicated usually a female child, she walked to the next room. This room had a poster with kitten on it's wall. Sara furrowed her brows. Both poster weren't exactly what she expected in a room of a male teenager. She walked to the cabinet. No sport trophy, no football or baseball cards, no magazine about cars. There was no personal sign of any child. She opened the wardrobe and found an evening dress. High school prom. It seemed like the kitten were the daughter's favorite and the son was into horses.

She walked back to the other room. No sport trophy, baseball or football cards and no car magazine were here either. No clothes in the wardrobe. If this was the room of the son, he had taken everything of his belongings with him. It was odd that the parents didn't keep anything of their son, she hadn't seen a photo or anything of him. There was a photo of a young woman with a man, she guessed it was the daughter on her wedding day. Why wasn't the brother on the photo?

A look at her watch told her Sofia and Cath should have finished their interviews by now. Not bothering to call Cath and get a heads up, she dialed Sofia's number.

"What can I do for you?"

"Tell me about the interviews."

"Well, the daughter…"

"Skip her, I'm interested in the son."

"Are you? How come?"

"Call it an old San Francisco connection, can't give you more, there's no evidence so far."

"When you say 'so far' it means you think, there is some evidence somewhere."

"Didn't say that."

"Where are you?"

"In the house."

"I'll be with you in ten minutes."

"Greg and an officer are here, no need to play babysitter."

"See you in ten." Sofia didn't bother to argue and ended the call.

"Didn't I say I don't need you?" Sara sighed. Great, now she had to call Cath. She couldn't let Sofia come here expecting something Sara didn't have and don't tell Cath about it…this big nothing.

"Cath, I just wanted to let you know that Sofia is on her way to the house."

"Why's that? You guys found something?"

"No. I asked her about the son and she said, she comes over."

"Is the son a suspect?"

"I couldn't find anything that tells that. In fact, I couldn't find anything about him. There's no photo, there's nothing personal from his childhood and youth in the house. Did he tell you anything about his childhood?"

"He talked to Sofia, I talked to the daughter."

"Did she mention her brother?"

"No, I mean, she said, she has a younger brother who lives in San Francisco, but that's all. They seemed not to be close."

"I'll ask Sofia about him. Just wanted to give you the heads up. Greg's still outside, looking for some evidence. The neighbor told us there was a black, unmarked van in front of the house. He didn't pay more attention to it, so he couldn't give us anything else. Greg is looking for oil, tire marks, anything that gives us an idea. All we know, it was a Mercedes and quite new."

"You think the San Francisco guy Wendy told me about was the driver?"

"I don't know, so far there's no evidence for that."

"Give me a call if you get anything new."

"Will do. Talk to you later." Sara put her cell back in her pocket. One family, two children, three people on photos, four in the family. What was it with the son? It could be something simply, he didn't like photos. She never understood why people could put photos of themselves on every wall. Art, landscapes, animals, everything but yourself? Okay, she had these two photos of her and Sofia, one from Waikiki, one from Australia, but that was holiday and they were not in the middle of the wall so that everybody could see them, they were on her desk, remembering her, not to work at home.

"Where are you?" Sofia's voice got her back out of her thoughts.

"Upstairs."

Sara walked to the door to greet her friend and show her in which room she was in.

"Okay, tell me what you're looking for."

"Anything about the son."

"Why him?"

"Wendy found a print from a guy who lives in San Francisco, the son is the only connection we know about to San Francisco."

"She has a name."

"Yeah, she gave all the details to Cath, who should have called you."

"She didn't. Ryan was along, she might have asked him."

"Ouch, taking your case away."

"Hitting on your man."

"He isn't my man and if she gets him, I know I don't have to waste any time in him."

"True. That's the son's room?"

"I think. In the other room is a high school prom evening dress. But there's nothing in here. I mean, I can't talk about myself, but doesn't your mother have anything of your childhood and teenager time?"

"According to my mom her gray hair and wrinkles are from my teenager time. I'm not sure if she has them all in my old room, the last time I saw her, she had the wrinkles with her. Right in her face."

"You're mean." Sara giggled.

"I was only quoting her and telling you what I saw. And yes, she has some more things and photos. I hate this awful baby and toddler photos."

"I haven't seen them, have I?"

"I don't hope so."

"The next time we're visiting your mom, I've to ask her for the photos."

"You do that and I won't talk to you anymore and won't invite you anymore."

"I'm sure you were a cute child."

"Keep your imagination, it's like New Orleans, some things you don't want to destroy by reality."

"If it comes to you I forget things like that."

"Very funny." Sofia held in for a second, drifted away in her thoughts.

"Sara, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"It's about your childhood so you change your answer if you like to." Sofia got closer to Sara, put her hand on the brunette's arm.

"Ask."

"When you were a child, did you have things you didn't want anybody to know about? I don't mean ideas, thoughts, wishes, I mean real things, you treasured so much you tried to hide them from everybody else."

"Yes."

"Maybe it was the same with Ike Walsh. We have to think like a child, teenager who tries to hide things. Where could he put things?"

"If there was anything don't you think he took it with him when he left this house?"

"Some things you can't take with you, you have to leave them wherever they are because they feel right only there."

Sara closed her eyes while Sofia's eyes were on Sara. Observing every move, every little change in her friend's mimic. She hated to ask that question, to get Sara back to a place and a time she was hurt so much but they both had to think like a possible suspect to make sure they did their job right.

"Are you alright?" Sofia stroke with her finger over Sara's hand.

"It's a wooden floor, he might have loosen a board and hide something under it. Parents don't look there. It will be a board hidden under a furniture, anything you can move away quickly, nothing too heavy because you're a child and nothing that attracts parents."

"A nightstand?"

"For example." They walked to the nightstand, each packed one side and carried it away. Sofia got down and touched the floor, tried to move the boards.

"I can't find a loose end."

"Something else?" Sara walked to the desk and started to look at the floor under it.

"Maybe he didn't leave it in his room, maybe it's somewhere else."

"You put something in another room you have the risk that your parents will ask you why you are in this room, they might be in the room when you want your hidden thing and they might see you walking to or away the room. It has to be somewhere where parents won't get suspicious when the child walks in and out and is alone for some time."

"A tree house?"

"I haven't seen one but it doesn't mean there isn't one or that the tree house is on the property-"

"If it's somewhere else it's too dangerous to leave your things there. Other kids might find them and it's too far away." Sofia got up and looked out of the window.

"The attic? The basement?"

"The bathroom. The master bedroom has it's own bathroom, I saw it on the blueprints, the children shared the other one. You share a bathroom with a woman, the woman's attention is always on the mirror and the bathroom cabinet with her beauty crèmes inside." Sara left the room before Sofia could reacted.

The blonde sighed and shook her head. She really hated it when Sara was with her thoughts back in her childhood. No matter how often she told her, she was fine and could live with her past, Sofia could feel Sara suffered whenever she went back and remembered.

Quietly she followed her friend to find her on her knees in front of the bath tube. With a screwdriver Sara had loosen a board.

"They have made these boards around the tube, it's hollow between the tube and the wall, the perfect place to hide something. Plus, you lock the door when you're in the bathroom and nobody will be suspicious about that. The perfect place."

Sofia got down next to Sara.

"These boards were loose, or let's say: they weren't as solid as they're supposed to be." Sara put another board down. They had a good look in the space between tube and wall but there was nothing to see.

"There's nothing inside." Sara sighed.

"I think if there was something inside, he took it with him. No need to leave anything behind when you're moving out or after you killed your parents and ended your past."

"Yeah. Do you know what they've written in their will? Is there anything mentioned?"

"I don't know, we can ask the lawyer in the morning."

"I wonder if the son – after there is no sign of him in the house – is mentioned in the will." She started to put the boards back.

"We can talk to the sister about the brother. She has given birth to a baby not to long about, she should be home in the morning."

"Early visit about eight?"

"With a baby she'll be awake."

"She should, yes." Sofia offered Sara her hand to help her back on her feet. The brunette took it and found herself in Sofia's arms.

"Stop worrying about me, Smuggy, I'm really fine."

"I hate it when I have to get you back to your childhood."

"You don't have to. I'm an adult, I can handle it and if I've got a problem, I'll let you know immediately."

"Immediately?"

"Yes, I promise. Right now I'm fine. Come on, we have a case to close. I want answers." They had to wait for a few hours until it was time to go to the daughter of the dead couple. Time, to see what Greg had found.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 3**

"Misses Hendrikson, thanks that you've got some time for us." Sofia shook the hand of the daughter of the victims. "I'm detective Curtis, that's Sara Sidle with the crime lab."

"You said you've got some more questions."

"Yes."

"Come in. I'm sorry that's a little bit messy, the baby didn't sleep last night and there was a lot of trouble…and my parents…"

"No need to excuse yourself, Misses Hendrikson." Sara smiled a little bit. "We don't care about that."

"I do. Mom would have never approved…" She stopped and swallowed hard. "Come in, please." She let Sara and Sofia in the house and guided them to the living room. A crying baby was on a thick blanket. The young mother picked it up and tried to calm it down.

"What can I do for you? Are you still working or again working?"

"Still working."

"In that case I'm sure you want to go home soon. What questions do you have?"

"We were in the house of your parents. There are photos of them and you, but none of your brother. We wonder why that is."

"The relationship between them and my brother weren't the best."

"How comes?"

"My brother has his own way of living the rest of the family doesn't agree on."

"What way of living is that?"

"In sin."

"He's living with his girlfriend and isn't married?" Sofia was stunned. Did people really called living together in an unmarried relationship a sin? She thought the society was over that since twenty or thirty years.

"No, he isn't living with a woman, that would be a thing the family could handle without a problem."

"I'm sorry I don't understand what you then with 'living in sin'."

"He does not love the natural way."

"He does not love the natural way? Do you tell me your brother does something illegal?" Sofia wasn't sure if she understood the woman right. Was she telling her, her brother had a sexual relationship with a minor?

"The law doesn't see it as illegal but God does."

"I'm afraid I can't follow here." She looked helpless to Sara who shook slightly her head.

"He loves…no he thinks he is in love with a man."

"He's gay?" That was the problem of the family? That was why his photos weren't welcome on the walls? That was why there was nothing of him in the house?

"Yes. He had turned towards the sin and the devil."

"Misses Hendrikson…" Sara started and stopped herself. It wasn't her job to tell the woman that her brother didn't make the decision to love a man and that there was nothing unnatural about it. That wasn't her business. She was here to find a murderer.

"….how did your parents react to that?"

"They were ashamed. They tried to get him back to the right way, they sent him to so many priests, they tried hospitals, everything. He didn't change, he didn't try to work with all these people who wanted to help him to get back on God's path of love. He turned his back on the whole family and the church. And when he left to San Francisco, the place where these disgusting and unmoral behave is accepted, we knew, we had lost the fight and him."

"Did your parents have any contact with him?"

"No."

"Because they didn't want or he didn't want?"

"He wasn't a member of the family anymore, there was no reason to have any contact with him."

"Do you have any contacts with him?"

"Unfortunately I saw him last evening at the police department. I went to church right away and prayed that God will make sure the bad spirit of him can't take over me."

"Does your husband thinks the same?"

"Of course. We met in the church, we're honest and we live the word God has sent us."

"Did your brother ever tried to get in contact with your family?"

"No."

"Did he ever brought a partner home?"

"As soon as my parents found out he was a sinner, they sent him to church, let him stay there, sent him to a camp but he didn't change so told him he wasn't welcome in the house anymore. They would have never invited one of these sinners and perverts over." She kissed her baby. "I hope God will protect you from all these sins. Detective, I'd like to stop talking about that, the evil spirit might come in and I've no idea how strong my baby is. God will take care of him but as we can see on my brother, sometimes the evil spirit is too strong."

"One more question: Do you know anything about the will of your parents?"

"They house goes to me, so do the cars. The money goes to the church."

"Your brother?"

"As I told you, he isn't a member of the family for us. I'm sorry, I really think we should stop here. Sorry."

"That's alright, we'll leave you alone now. Thanks Misses Hendrikson."

"Detective, do you think the devil took control over my brother and made him kill my parents?"

"There's no evidence that your brother was in the house, Misses Hendrikson." Sofia shook the hand of the woman and followed Sara out.

In silent they walked to the car and sat down.

"Where would you like to go now?" Sofia asked.

"Somewhere where people don't try to wash my mind and don't live in a time America wasn't explored."

"I know what you mean. He lives in sin. The devil has taken over him. This young man loves other men, I don't understand why people still have a problem with that. Even when you read the bible very carefully you find out, same sex relationships were mentioned in there and nobody is trying to connect that with the devil.

I tell you one thing, when I'm a mother and my child or my children are gay, I'll love them even more and will encourage them to bring their partner over. There's no difference in love. There's no difference in love to a man or a woman. It's about love, that's main part. I wonder why people still make a difference. It's like skin color, there's no difference, it's under every skin color the same kind of human."

"You'll be a good mother, Sofia." Sara took the hand of her friend.

"You'll be a good godmother, I hope."

"I can try."

"Shall we go and see the sinner or do you need to get a cross for that? And…whatever else can scare the devil away."

"I'm sure if we had told her we share a bed sometimes, she had kicked us out of the house and called the major that two of his employees had tried to bring sin in her house."

"Yeah…I left my evil spirit in the house. You?"

"I ordered my evil spirit to get into her and make her love a woman."

"I'm sure if she suspects something like that by herself and can't find any help and relief in the church, she'll kill herself."

"You might be right there." Sara shook her head. There were a lot strange people around. One day she would be used to them. Or at least wouldn't be that surprised anymore.

* * *

"Lorenzo Walsh, I'm detective Curtis, we spoke to each other yesterday. And that's Sara Sidle, she's with the crime lab." Sofia had driven them to the motel Lorenzo Walsh had given her as his address for the time he was staying in Vegas.

"I know who you are. What do you want?"

"I'd like to ask you some more questions."

"Did you find the killer of my parents?"

"No."

"Why aren't you out looking for him."

"Why do you think it's a male?"

"Statistics say most murderer are male, aren't they?"

"Yes they are."

"Come in." He stepped aside and let them in the small room. Clothes were lying on the floor, two empty pizza boxes, some bottles of beer.

"I didn't expect any visitors and the house keeping here isn't that good."

"We don't mind. I'd like to ask you something more about the relationship between you and your parents."

"As I told you before we weren't close."

"Why."

"Different points of view about my life."

"Like."

"I didn't agree what they believed in, they didn't believe in what I believe in."

"What do you believe in?" Sara asked.

"I believe every human has the right to be the way he is. No matter if any institution doesn't agree on that. An institution should never be more important than your children."

"Your parents were more interest in the church than in you, weren't they?"

"Yes Miss Sidle."

"We talked to your sister…" Lorenzo Walsh laughed short and bitter.

"Anything funny about that?"

"No, nothing funny. I'm sure she told everything the same way they would have told you. I was the black sheep of the family. Or I am."

"She doesn't see you as a part of the family."

"I'm not surprised."

"She said you're gay."

"I'm sure she didn't use these words. No, my sister uses words like 'sinner', 'a poor soul lost God's way' or 'a soul the evil spirit has taken over'. I know all these phrases, I grew up with them."

"When did that start?"

"You mean when did I find out that I'm gay? Or when did they find out I'm gay? Or when did they start trying to rescue me and bring me back to god's way?"

"All of that."

"I found out when I was fifteen. Nobody ever talked about being gay in family. That was rule, don't talk about sins and no sin will haunt you. When I was seventeen I had my first boyfriend, my family thought we were only friends. One night my sister came in my room without knocking and found my boyfriend and me in bed. Naked, having sex. She screamed, got my parents in the room, they kicked my boyfriend out and made me pray and beg God for forgiveness for the whole night. The next morning they called the priest, who talked to me for hours.

A few month later, my boyfriend had of course kicked me out of his life after this experience with my parents, I had a new boyfriend. My parents, very suspicious now when a friend was over, didn't let me close the door anymore and every few minutes one of them walked along the hallway to have a look what we were doing. So we met somewhere else. They found out and sent me to a psychiatric clinic. The doctor there couldn't heal me from my disease and I came to a camp with other sexual disorientated people. Surprisingly this camp also didn't work out and my parents threw me out of the house. I left to San Francisco, got a job, started college and my life became a good life."

"You didn't have any contact with your family anymore?"

"No. For them I was a sinner, a man of the devil, who would bring the evil spirit to their house when I was there."

"When was the last time you saw them?"

"I tried to talk to them after I turned twenty-one, they didn't let me in the house. I thought, I had managed to live without them for three years, I could do it for the rest of my life."

"But you came here when they died."

"You asked me to come."

"You don't want to say goodbye to them?"

"I'm sure they've something written down that will keep me away from their funeral. If not, my lovely and perfect sister will make sure, I'll stay away."

"The relationship between your sister and you isn't that good?"

"Like between a dog and a cat."

"Where is your company?" Sofia asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I believe you can eat two pizza, I believe you can drink a lot beer but I don't believe you've got shoes in two different sizes." She pointed to two pairs of sneaker, one bigger than the other one.

"Out."

"So early?"

"Some people are early riser."

"What is his name?"

"I don't think that's your business."

"Everything is my business if I make it to my business."

"He has nothing to do with all this things, he isn't important to me."

"Leave that to me."

He shook his head.

"May I have a look in the bathroom?"

"Don't you need a warrant for that?"

"Do you have anything to hide?"

"I think it's the best when you leave now, detective. Please."

"Don't leave the city, Mister Walsh." Sofia said when she turned. "We might have more questions and it will look very bad when you're gone."

"I'm in the city until the day after tomorrow."

"Good to know." Sofia left the room.

Sara stopped before she left. "Hating the parents for something they did wrong is alright. Killing them isn't."

"Good-bye, Miss Sidle."

Sara followed Sofia. There was something the young man knew and he didn't want them to find out. What meant, Sofia wouldn't stop until she had find out.


	8. Chapter 8

Sara was tired when she came home. It was almost ten in the morning, over twelve hours of work lay behind here. Slowly she walked up the stairs to her apartment and was greeted by a strange bunch of flowers. First of all, all of the flowers were different, she didn't see a matching pair and second, there were little paper butterflies knotted to the blossoms.

"You worked too long."

Surprised she turned around. Ryan was sitting on a stair, looking at her and the flowers.

"What are you doing here? I thought we've an appointment for dinner." She didn't remember that they wanted to meet for breakfast. Sara wasn't in the mood for breakfast.

"We have." He stood up and walked to her.

"But?"

"But…" He stopped and sighed. "…I'm not sure you want to hear that, Sara."

"What? You won't make it for dinner?"

"No, that's not what I'm talking about."

"What are you talking about?"

"I missed you."

"What?"

"I missed you."

"Ryan, we…you…I…"

"Yes, you and I are we. Do you think we can go in?"

"Sure." She took the flowers, opened the door and let him in. Ryan had waited for her to come home. He had brought her flowers. They had an appointment for dinner and he didn't want to wait. She wasn't sure what to make out of this.

To be occupied she put the flowers into water and took a another look at the butterflies.

"What are they for?"

"Little notes for you, one for every day. There are thirty, a note for every day." Ryan put his hands on her arms, started to move slowly up and down.

Sara closed her eyes. "Ryan…I…" She what? She didn't want him to be here? That was a lie, she wanted him here. I can't do it? Another lie. She could and again, she wanted. Why was she trying to deny something that was obvious? Why was she not giving herself the freedom to do what she wanted to do?

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"Are you?"

She turned, got her arms around his neck, pulled his head down and kissed him. His lips felt so good, he tasted so good. She wanted more of these lips, this taste. Getting her arms free of his hands, her hands wandered under his shirt. Everything she only could imagine under the shirt, she could feel now. Her hands on his skin, moving his shirt higher and higher to get more and more of him. He held her, let her make the decision what they were doing and how fast.

Not willing to stand any longer at the bench, she pushed him backwards to the couch and got on top of him as soon as he was half sitting, half lying. There was no doubt, she wanted this, she wanted him. Impatience she got his shirt away and enjoyed for a second the view. It was a view for her. He had a six pack, like she had assumed the whole time. Slowly her hands ran up and down his body, trying to touch every inch of it.

Not willing to stop here as one part of her brain told her, started to open his belt not stopping kissing him and listening to the other voice in her head, telling her to go on and do what she wanted to do for so long. She had denied her own feelings towards the lieutenant long enough.

"What are you doing, Sara?" He whispered in her ear.

"What I wanted to do since I've met you." It surprised herself that she said that.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am. And I can feel you want the same or do you want to tell me you have your weapon not in your holster?" She smiled.

"Depends. I've a special weapon for you."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Do you also have special cuffs for me, lieutenant?"

"No, I like your hands, I don't want you handcuffed." He started to undress her.

"Don't you? What do you like me to do or to be?"

"Surprise me Sara."

"I can certainly do that." She pressed her lips on his. Somehow sleeping wasn't that important anymore.

* * *

"We have to get up." Sara snuggled deeper in Ryan's arm.

"I know."

"Five more minutes?"

"Let's say seven."

"Alright." She kissed him softly.

"You know, I had my doubts we would ever come this far."

"Why?"

"You didn't seem to be interested in me. I was fascinated by you after the first night we worked together and you didn't pay any attention to me."

"I did realize you were there but I think when I'm working, my mind is occupied with the case and everything that's private is hold back."

"That's what I told myself but then…"

"Then what?"

"Well, I heard this rumor."

"There's a rumor about me?" Sara furrowed her brows. "What have I done now?"

"Sofia."

"Huh?"

"Some people think you and Sofia are lovers and when I heard that, I thought I can forget all my interests in you. I know it's not very professional to listen to rumors, but you two spend a lot of time together. And she's the only one who gets close to you even while you're working."

"Sofia and me are friends."

"You spend a lot of time with her, she sleeps here, you sleep at her place all the time."

"Yes, it's nice to talk to somebody after work, get all the things of the cases out of your head by telling them to somebody else. She usually sleeps on the sofa."

"Usually?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Yes. I don't mind sharing a bed with her but there's nothing sexual between us. Only a deep friendship, if that's what you wanted to know."

"All I want to know is if I'm the only one or if you want me to share you."

"Would you do that? Sharing me?"

"No. I strongly believe in relationships that involve only two people."

"Good, so do I. But I'm afraid you'll have to live with her in my life as she's my best friend; and your colleague."

"I can live with that. As long as she stays on the sofa and I'm in your bed we can have breakfast parties every day."

"She's quite busy with her bartender, I doubt she wants to have breakfast parties with us every day."

"A bartender?"

"Yes." Sara smiled. "Looks like we both got lucky this week."

"You could have been lucky a few weeks earlier."

"That's what Sofia told me all the time."

"She's a good lieutenant."

"Of course she is. She talked me into calling you two days ago and having breakfast together. She really wanted us to end up like this."

"And that after she was so flirty the first week."

"Until she found out you were only interested in me."

"I must have been very obvious."

"Don't ask me."

"I know, you didn't pay attention to me."

"I did. A little bit. I mean, you are really nice to look at, so whenever I felt like having a small break, I undressed you with my eyes."

"You undressed me?" He pulled her on top.

"Yes."

"Like last night?"

"Kind of."

"I'd love to hear more but unfortunately we've to leave your bed. Work is waiting."

"Yeah, I planed to catch a killer today. You?"

"I caught a fairytale I'm happy." He kissed her.

"That's not professional."

"No, it's not. I'll teach you to be a little bit more private, Sara."

"Good luck with that" She rose and took his hand. "Let's take a shower, shall we?"

"Can't imagine anything more sexy than you naked under water next to me." He smirked and followed her.


	9. Chapter 9

"I've got a copy of the will of the Walshes." Sofia handed the paper over to Sara.

"And? I'm sure you read it already."

"Nothing for the son, like the daughter said. He isn't even mentioned with one word. Did you have anything on the print."

"Yes, a name. Bob Jefferson."

"And could the colleagues in San Fran find him?"

"No, they couldn't. According to detective Manda, nobody saw Mister Jefferson the last four days."

"He could be here."

"Yes he could. Another very interesting thing was, one neighbor could remember that Mister Jefferson had a daily visitor who happens to look just like Lorenzo Walsh. Isn't that a crazy coincidence?"

"It's a very interesting coincidence. I think I'd like to talk to Mister Walsh junior again."

"So does Cath."

"You gonna let her in?"

"It's her case" Sara smiled.

"Right. Okay, I'll catch up with her."

"And I'll be behind the mirror watching you. Oh, Bob Jefferson is on the cast, your colleagues are looking for him."

"He doesn't happen to drive a black Mercedes van?"

"No, he drives an old Buick. License plate is out too."

"You were busy."

"I'm always busy to do a good job."

"Of course. I'll see you later."

"Good luck, lieutenant."

Sofia found Cath in front of the interview room. The strawberry blonde was reading a file.

"Hey, is Walsh there?"

"Waiting inside. What do you have?"

"Somebody who looks like Walsh Junior is a regular visitor of Bob Jefferson, whose print was on the door. I wonder what he can tell us about this man."

"Coincidence?"

"I don't believe that."

"Let's see what Walsh has to say." Cath got up and followed Sofia in the interview room.

"Mister Walsh, nice to see you again."

"Can't say the same, lieutenant Curtis." The young man barely looked at Sofia.

"You can get rid off me by telling us the truth. The more you tell us, the faster we are away."

"I told you the truth."

"You didn't tell me about Bob Jefferson."

"Who's that?" It was obvious for Sofia and Cath that the young man was lying.

"Your boyfriend."

"I'm sorry?"

"If you want not to see us for any longer you should start to tell us the truth. Let's try it again: Bob Jefferson."

"Never heard of him."

A knock on the door let them look up. Sara's head came in the room.

"I'm sorry. Cath, can I talk to you for a second? It's important."

"Sure."

A minute later Cath was back.

"Mister Walsh, Bob Jefferson."

"I told you I don't know this man."

"Are you telling me you don't know the people you're sleeping with?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Bob Jefferson's prints were found on the door to your motel room."

"He might have stayed in there before, I don't know."

"You want us to believe such a coincidence?"

"Yes."

"How do you explain that he rent a black van, the same kind of van that was seen in front of your parents' house?"

"Maybe they knew each other, I can't tell you. I didn't have any contacts to my parents."

"He is your lover."

"That's ridiculous."

"Look, we don't care that you're gay. It doesn't matter. But we do care that you and the prime suspect are having a relationship. Having him and you in Las Vegas, him rent a black van, the same van in front of your parents' house, that are a lot of coincidences."

"Things like that happen."

"Can you explain why he paid for your room?"

"What?"

"He paid for the room you're staying in at the moment, he arrived at the same time like you, he shares a room with you. We talked to the housekeeper, it's not a coincidence that you and him are here, you are both here together. And you were here before your parents got killed."

"Can you prove anything of that?" He looked angry at Cath.

Sofia was asking herself the same. She had no idea what Sara had told Cath but she hoped the CSI had some evidence.

"We're getting a warrant for your room right now, also for your room in San Francisco. We've a witness who saw you and Mister Jefferson together. We have another witness who saw the black van the night of the murder in front of your parents' house. We have a black van rent by a young man who looked like Mister Jefferson for the particular night. We'll get his prints out of the van and I can promise you, when we'll find your prints in there too, you'll have a very big problem. You won't go to hell but you'll go for the rest of your life into prison. If we find out you pulled the trigger, you'll face prosecution for double murder. That will give you the needle. In your own interested, you should start to talk."

"I didn't kill my parents."

"Not good enough. Why are you here? Why did you come to Vegas? Don't tell me it was to see them."

"Gambling."

"You can gamble in San Francisco just fine, Mister Walsh."

"Every town has it's own flair and the flair of San Fran isn't gambling."

"Why did Mister Jefferson came here?"

"You have to ask him yourself."

"Tell us where he is and we'll do it."

"I can't help you there."


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey, how did it go with Walsh?" Sara came more jogging than walking into the department.

"He said he has no idea who and where Bob Jefferson is. Where have you been? You look like you were out for a run." Sofia was a little bit amused.

"I was out to print the black van with Greg. At least one print is from Jefferson, I compared them at the rental car place. Wendy will do the same with the computer. So far there were no prints of Walsh. Did he say anything to the murder of his parents?"

"No. We don't have anything that places him in the house. You think he asked Jefferson to kill for him?"

"They are a couple, you do crazy things when you're in love. Wouldn't be the first time we have a case like that. Where's Cath?"

"At the motel, we've a warrant to search the room. She'll get the evidence we need to connect Jefferson with Walsh. Do we really a witness who saw both together?"

"Yes, I called the motel, sent them a photo of both men and the women affirmed that both men are staying in the same room, arrived at the same time."

"You were busy, you know sometimes you even do a little bit of police work."

"What can I say? I've a friend who is a lieutenant and I learnt a little bit."

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you know…"

"Lieutenant Curtis?" An officer stepped to them. "Sorry to interrupt. We've a Bob Jefferson in."

"What? Where?"

"Interview room four."

"Thanks." Sofia raised an eye brow. "I'll call Cath. Would you start with me when she's fine with that?"

"Absolutely."

"Thanks. I'll call Cath."

"I get the evidence we have against Jefferson together."

Ten minutes later they had met again.

"Heads up please. We do it, Cath needs another hour, but has Jefferson's prints in the room."

"I've got the prints from the van, the statement of the woman who checked them in the motel and a blossom of an orchid."

"The one we found in the house?"

"No, one that Greg found in the van and that's from the same flower like the one we found in the house. Hodges just confirmed that."

"CSI isn't bad today."

"Today? I pretend you didn't say that, lieutenant."

Sofia grinned. "Come on, let's make him confess."

They walked in the room. Jefferson, a tall man with short blond hair and gray eyes was sitting at the table. Next to him a lawyer.

"Mister Jefferson, I'm lieutenant Curtis, that's Miss Sidle with the crime lab."

"My client wishes not to talk to him unless you'll apologize for all the inconvenience you put him through?"

"Like what?"

"Like dragging him out of a casino. That was very embarrassing for him."

"I'm sure the officer asked him kindly to follow him and when your client refuses, the officer has to do his job in another way. Why did your client refuses to talk to us?"

"It's his right not to talk to you."

"Your client is the prime suspect in a double homicide case."

"My client didn't kill anybody."

"Of course not. Mister Jefferson, can you tell me how your relationship to Mister Walsh is?"

"My client never heard of that name."

"Strange, that's the same what Mister Walsh said."

"What is strange about that?"

"Let's start with, they both checked in the same motel, the same day and the same room, your client paid for both with his credit card and they want us to believe they don't know each other. It's sounds strange for me."

"There must be a check in mistake."

"I could accept that as a reason if there weren't people seeing your client and Mister Walsh in the same room. You book a room for yourself and somebody goes with you in your room, you'll ask why, don't you?"

"I've no idea what all these things have to do with a double homicide."

"The parents of Mister Walsh got killed. Mister Jefferson is the lover of Mister Walsh."

"Being the lover of somebody doesn't make you a killer."

"No, but your prints in a van, that looks exactly like the van that was seen at the scene at the time of the murder, a print on the door of your client. Isn't it strange to rent a van and go to the house of your lover's parents, who are dead a little bit later?"

"Coincidence."

"I don't believe in coincidence."

"Do you have anything that proves my client killed anybody?"

"We found a blossom at the scene and a blossom of the same flower was in the van."

"The company didn't clean the van. That's not the fault of my client when he's driving around with a dirty rental car."

"It was from the same flower that was in the house, we tested it. Do you like orchids, Mister Jefferson?"

"I'm not interested in flowers."

"Thought so. Misses Walsh was interested in flowers, that's what her daughter told me. Seeing a young man with a big bunch of flowers was enough for her to open the door. Maybe she thought her husband had ordered them for her as a surprise. She had no idea that you're the lover of her son, she didn't approve his sexual orientation, she and her husband had no contact with their son, they had sent him to hospitals and priests when they found out he was gay. You knew everything about them, they knew nothing about you. You used that. They let you in the house and you shot them there."

"There's no evidence for that."

"You should have taken a better lawyer, Mister Jefferson. One that knows we don't accuse you of anything without evidence. Right now there's a CSI team in your motel room, getting more evidence about your and Walsh junior's relationship. We talked to your lover earlier, don't worry he didn't say a word about you. He was willing to go down for you, I guess that's what you call love. The question is, do you love him enough to get him _not_ go down with you?"

"Don't say a word." The lawyer ordered.

"He loves you, he wants to give his life for you. What about you? Do you love him or will you disappoint him like his parents did? Will you be another disappointment or will you be there for you?"

"He has nothing to do with this." Jefferson said quietly.

"Don't say a word."

"They'll get Lorenzo for this and it wasn't him. He had nothing to do with all of this. He didn't even want to go to Las Vegas."

"You convinced him."

"We're a couple since two years, I know everything about his childhood and teenager time. I know how he suffered, what his parents did to him…"

"Mister Jefferson, I've to insist…"

"Shut up, I'm talking. Lorenzo's parents sent him away when they found out he's gay, yes. They sent him in hospitals, they sent him to priests but the worst thing was, they sent him in this camp. You know what they do there to you when you're gay? They make you rape women. Isn't that a lovely way to find your love to woman? Raping them. And I'm not talking about having sex with a hooker, I'm talking about rape. Rape of female teenager who are in this camp because they're lesbians. The 'teachers' want the teenager to find out how real love and the right kind of sex feels. Do you have any idea what that does to teenager?"

"No I don't." And Sofia hated the fact that Sara was sitting in the room. She wanted her friend out of here right now. Why didn't she get Cath? Damn it, she had thought it was nothing more than an angry son or boyfriend of the son who wanted to make the parents pay. It was more, a lot of more.

"They assaulted his body and his soul and never paid for that. He has nightmares, he is in therapy, he feels guilty, he's scared that he might get arrested for raping a girl he never wanted to rape, he was forced to rape. You have no idea how his life is, you've no idea how it feels to see how he suffers every day. And all that because his parents are crazy."

"That's why you killed them."

"Sinners have to burn in hell. I hope they'll do that now. They are the sinners, not him."

"Killing two people is a sin too."

"People like Lorenzo's parents deserve to be killed. With their thoughts, their action and their influence they send so many people to their suicide and they celebrate that. They feel proud of themselves when somebody who's gay killed himself because they've helped to clean God's earth from sinners."

"Did Lorenzo know what you wanted to do?"

"No."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I want to talk to his parents, make them talk to me so that they can see I'm not a monster. I tried to call them, we tried to visit them, they didn't want to talk to us, called us sinners and sons of the devil. They hurt Lorenzo so much, he was crying all the time when he got rejected again. All he wanted, all he asked for, was some love from his parents. Is it too much to ask for? If you want your parents to love you?"

"No."

"In that family it was. I couldn't watch that any longer. I knew Lorenzo would never be happy with his parents so I made the decision I'd get them out of his life. I got the van, dressed up as a delivery guy, hid the gun in the flowers and shot them when I was in the house. And I tell you something, I think the devil was coming up from hell and took them right into there. There was no light, no ray of the sun from above to get them to heaven, they went straight down to hell. I hope they'll suffer there, I hope all their nightmares will come true."

"Killing them makes you a sinner too."

"I'm not afraid of hell. People put me through hell on earth I doubt if there's another hell, it will be as bad as life here. If you want you can arrest me but I won't plea guilty for killing two human beings, I plea guilty to making the planet a better place."

"I doubt the judge will agree with you."

"I don't care. I know what I did was right and I'd do it again."

"Bob Jefferson I arrest you for the murder of Eilen and Ike Walsh."

* * *

"Do you have a date with Ryan?" Sofia got Sara in the locker room.

"No, not that I know of one. Why?"

"I would like to invite you over to breakfast."

"What about Marco?"

"He has to sleep alone."

"Be nice to your boyfriend Sofia."

"I am. Tomorrow. Do you come with me now?"

"Don't tell Marco to stay away because of me, Sofia."

Sofia walked to Sara, got in her personal space so that the brunette was between the lieutenant and the lockers.

"I like Marco, I like spending time with him, but there'll never be a guy so important that I'll leave you alone after a night like this. If you don't have a date with Ryan you'll have one with me."

"I knew it was about the case."

"Yes it is. I hated that you were in the room when the boyfriend talked, when he told us about Lorenzo's childhood. I know you have his words in your mind, you'll have them in your mind for a while, you'll get nightmares, seeing you in Lorenzo's shoes. I won't leave you alone, I won't let you wake up, trembling and sweating because you were caught in a nightmare. I'll be there, I'll get you out of the nightmare and I'll hold you until you feel safe again. Like it or hate but I don't intent to let you change anything about my plans. Am I clear?"

"Are you trying to force me into something?"

"Yes. You know I'd never risk a fight but this time I would. I won't leave you alone, no matter what you say. Try to lock me out of the apartment, I'll find my way in."

"You've got keys to my apartment, it makes no sense to lock the door. And I'd feel stupid when I lock myself in my bedroom."

"Good."

"Do you stop threatening me now?"

"I never treated you."

"Uh-huh." Sara took her things. "Come on lieutenant I'm tired."

Following Sara in her own car Sofia was glad when they arrived at Sara's apartment. As soon as they were inside Sofia got Sara in her arms, pressed her to her body and got her mouth to the ear of the brunette.

"Please tell me you're not mad at me."

"If I would you wouldn't be here." Sara laid her head on Sofia's shoulder.

"I don't want to force you into something, but I'm too scared you'll have nightmares after all that what Jefferson told us. I can't just leave you alone to it, I love you too much, Sara."

"I love you too, Sofia. Otherwise you wouldn't be here – again. Come on, get a shower and I start to prepare some breakfast….brunch."

"I don't want to leave you."

"You don't leave me, you're in the bathroom and I promise I won't run away."

"That's too far away from you."

"I won't take a shower with you."

"If you'd really love me you'd take a shower with me."

"Don't be childish." Sara kissed Sofia's cheek.

"If I can stay this way with you I am childish." Sofia refused to let Sara out of her arms.

"I promise I'll stay in your arms as soon as we both had a shower…separately." Sara grinned when she saw Sofia's smile.

"Bugger I was sooo close."

"Go." Sara got out of Sofia's arms. "The faster you had your shower the fast I can have mine and the faster you've me back in your arms."

"Don't run away." Sofia kissed Sara on the tip of her nose and left to the bathroom.

"Crazy woman." Sara smiled. She had known that Sofia wouldn't leave that night pass without a comment. She had felt how Sofia had hated to have her in the room when the suspect had told them everything of Walsh junior's past. It had gotten to Sara, no question and she was happy that Sofia was there for her.

She was also sure if she had asked Ryan to stay he had agreed immediately. But she didn't want to explain herself when she woke up with a nightmare. She would tell Ryan about her past one day, right now it was too early for that. One day he could know all these things, one day when they were closer. She had problems talking about her past, she needed time to open up.

"I missed you under the shower." Sofia embraced Sara from behind.

"You can take care of the pancakes and I take my own shower."

"I could visit you."

"I see you in five minutes…in the kitchen."

"So mean."

"Grumpy Smurf."

"Yes." Sofia smiled. Her eyes followed Sara until the brunette was in the bathroom. God how she hoped Sara was alright. She knew no matter how much Sara liked Ryan the brunette wouldn't tell him about her past. Not now. That's why Sofia was here.

They got the killer of the couple but Sofia didn't feel good when she arrested him. A part of her could understand why he had done that to the Walshes. She wasn't sure if she wouldn't do the same to Sara's father if he'd be still alive. He had hurt her so much, had done so many bad things to her, in Sofia's eyes sitting in prison for a couple of years wouldn't be enough punishment for a man like him. So yes, if she could see him, she couldn't guarantee that she'd act like a lieutenant. Maybe it was good that she'd never come into this situation.

"You look serious…like the pancake looks serious burnt."

"What…? Oh shit!" Sofia turned the pancake. One side was burnt.

"No need to burn the other side too, throw it away."

"I'm sorry."

"No need to be, you'll get one less." Sara grinned.

"Did I mention that you're mean?"

"Yes. And that you love me."

"That weights more than the meanness." Sofia cocked her head. "Ryan is a lucky man."

"So is Marco."

"We should tell our men that."

"If they don't know that already they're not worth being with us." Sara blinked at Sofia and turned the last pancake.

* * *

THE END


End file.
